ARRS president responds to NAS report on ionizing radiation

06/30/05

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) today released a report that indicates that low levels of ionizing radiation may cause harm. The following is a response to the report from Bruce McClennan, MD, president of the American Roentgen Ray Society.

"This report suggests that there is a very small risk for the development of cancer in a patient's lifetime when exposed to low-level radiation such as that used in diagnostic radiology procedures," said Bruce McClennan, MD, president of the American Roentgen Ray Society. "The risk of any medical procedure deserves our careful attention. Diagnostic radiology tests should only be performed when medically necessary. Screening tests, such as mammography, should only be performed when the benefits outweigh the risk. Radiologists are trained in the use of medical radiation and committed to ALARA [as low as reasonably possible] dosing as a guiding principle for administering X-rays for necessary tests. Patients should consult with their doctors and seek board certified radiologists for the performance and interpretation of examinations that require X-rays," he said.

Source: Eurekalert & others

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By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on
21 Feb 2009
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